


The Dealmakers

by stolen_pen_name23



Series: Find and Retrieve [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Angst, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Explosions, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gen, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rescue Missions, The Force, Whump, the Force works in mysterious ways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:29:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28712811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stolen_pen_name23/pseuds/stolen_pen_name23
Summary: Anakin and Obi-Wan venture into a seemingly abandoned mineshaft to find and rescue some younglings. However, in typical Obi-Wan and Anakin fashion, the stakes of the mission quickly turn from low to dire.I've already written the whole fic so I'll post an update every Tuesday!
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Series: Find and Retrieve [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2104818
Comments: 222
Kudos: 299





	1. Rescue Mission

The mission was straightforward enough. Go down into the “abandoned” mine shaft turned separatist storage unit, rescue the younglings, reunite them with their parents. Simple. Certainly, something two of the best Jedi in the order could handle. 

Of course, the mission would have been _ even simpler _ if Anakin and Obi-Wan had been made aware that the abandoned mine shaft had indeed been turned into a separatist storage unit. 

As they climbed down the mine shaft, Obi-Wan couldn’t help but wonder how the younglings had managed to make it down the side of the steep wall. It was one thing for two Jedi to do it, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they found the kids with a few injuries. 

Once close enough to the flat ground, both Jedi jumped, landing in graceful crouches on the gravel-covered ground. 

Igniting their lightsabers, the pitch-black cave was bathed in ethereal blue light. With the newfound light came newfound discoveries. Anakin and Obi-Wan jumped back at the sight of battle droids lining the walls of the cave. Without thinking, Anakin swiped his saber through a cluster of them, cutting them in half with ease. 

“Anakin, wait,” Obi-Wan said. “They’re deactivated. They aren’t going to shoot at us.”

Anakin took a step back and examined them. 

“I think you’re right,” he replied. “But if the separatists are keeping their droids and weapons here, we should look out for any guards they might have left behind.” 

Obi-Wan nodded in silent agreement.

“In the meantime…” Anakin said as he swung his lightsaber through the remaining droids.

_ “Anakin!” _

“What?” he said innocently. “If the separatists come back for them, they’re just going to be used against us.”

“Yes, but if there  _ are  _ guards here, don’t you think it best to keep it quiet?”

“When have I ever thought it best to keep it quiet?”

“You’re right. I don’t know why I asked,” Obi-Wan sighed. 

“Can I get that in writing?”

“Let’s just focus on finding the younglings and getting out of here.”

“Fine,” Anakin said, abandoning his self-assigned task of destroying everything in sight. Instead, the two of them scanned the dark space for the younglings. They rounded a corner only to come across two diverging tunnels. 

“They have to be in one of these tunnels,” Anakin said. “I can take the one on the right if you take the one on the left.”

“Wait, hold on,” Obi-Wan said, grabbing Anakin’s shoulder and stopping him in his tracks. “I think we should stick together on this one.”

“Obi-Wan, these kids have been lost down here for a couple of days, they could be injured, they’re probably starving and dehydrated. Don’t you think time is of the essence here?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Then what gives?”

“I don’t know. A feeling, I suppose.”

“Master, the kids need our help, sooner rather than later.”

Obi-Wan looked back and forth between each tunnel with a critical eye. 

“Fine,” Obi-Wan finally relented. “But I will take the one on the right and you will take the one on the left.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever. Let’s just meet right back here after an hour. If one of us isn’t back by then we can look for the other. Deal?”

Doubt lingered in Obi-Wan’s eyes. He let out one final sigh of resignation. “Deal.”

The two parted ways and began their searches alone. 

* * *

Gravel crunched under Anakin’s boots as he made his way down the long and winding mineshaft. The walls were lined with crates containing weapons and parts. The amount of weapons stuffed in this tunnel was probably worth thousands of credits, if not more than that. The temptation to go through each box and either destroy or steal its contents remained a constant, but he pressed on. He had a job to do. 

Anakin lamented the cool air inside the tunnel. The humidity only made it worse, the cold sinking deep into his bones and refusing to let go. He quickened his pace, eyes scanning for the missing children.

From the glow of his lightsaber, Anakin noticed an odd shadow where one should not be. He slowly crept closer and noticed some of the crates had been pushed aside, leaving a walled-in space – a walled-in space large enough to hold three missing younglings. 

Three pairs of squinting eyes looked up at him with apprehension. 

“Hey,” Anakin said in a gentle tone. “Hey there. It’s alright now.”

The three kids stood frozen in place, blinking at him, trying to get adjusted to the light cast by his saber. 

“My name is Anakin. I’m a Jedi. You can come out now. You can trust me,” he said, plastering what he hoped was a comforting smile on his face. 

He transferred his lightsaber to his prosthetic hand and reached out his flesh hand towards the children. A twi’lek girl was the first to reach out her hand. Anakin gently guided her closer to him and looked her over. She was dirty and shivering, but she looked otherwise unharmed. A young rodian boy followed. He also looked physically unharmed, but behind him was a mon calamari girl. She limped out of her place in the shadows and squinted up at him. 

“Hey there little one, can I take a look at this?” Anakin gestured to the girl’s ankle.

She nodded. 

Anakin carefully examined the ankle and noted that it didn’t appear to be broken, but it was quite swollen. Anakin silently thanked the Force. The younglings would be fine once he got them to the surface. It was a miracle they weren’t in worse shape. He returned his attention back to the task at hand. 

“I think you’ve got a pretty nasty sprain here,” Anakin assessed. He looked around at the other kids. “I’m going to get you three out of here alright? 

They all nodded at him.

“Can you climb on my back sweetheart?” Anakin asked the mon calamari girl. 

She nodded and carefully climbed on his back. Anakin hooked his arms under her knees and she laced her fingers around his neck. Looking down to make sure the other two younglings were still at his side, he began the walk back to the rendezvous point. 

* * *

This tunnel was different from the one they were just in. It was not lined floor to ceiling with droids or explosives.  The barren walls had an unsettling effect on Obi-Wan. The whole operation did really. The Force felt askew down here but he couldn’t pinpoint why. 

He kept his eyes forward, and he stuck to the side of the tunnel. He ran a hand along the wall to ensure he wasn’t missing any turns he had been unaware of. His walk ultimately led him to a dead end. There were no younglings to be found; however, there was a metal dashboard holding four datachips. A small light emitted from each one. Seeing the opportunity for what it was, Obi-Wan grabbed the data-chips and stuffed them into a pocket in his robe. Turning back, he didn’t bother to stick to the side. He knew the tunnel only went in one direction. He hoped Anakin had better luck finding the younglings. He would rendezvous with Anakin and then…

_ Click _

Obi-Wan immediately halted in his tracks. 

The bad feeling in his chest swelled to a crescendo. He looked down, but he already knew what he would find. 

A land mine. 

_ Foolish.  _ He admonished himself. He should have paid more attention, especially after he found the unguarded data chips. Whatever was on the data chips he had stolen had to be important enough for the Separatists to put a landmine in the tunnel. He must have just missed it when he had been walking along the sides, but now… 

With extreme care, he steadied himself, grounding his other foot into the gravel to secure his position. He couldn’t move. He didn’t dare. He knew that stepping off would not only kill him, but it could put Anakin and the younglings in danger. All he could do was wait and hope that when Anakin came looking for him, he would be more careful than he himself had been. 


	2. Do the Math

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin finds Obi-Wan, but is he too late?

Anakin was growing agitated. He had been waiting with the younglings at the rendezvous point for half an hour and Obi-Wan was still not there. 

Three pairs of eyes followed him as he paced back and forth. All three of the younglings were sitting on a nearby crate, waiting for Anakin’s guidance. 

“Sir?” the twi’lek girl asked with a tentative voice.

Anakin’s attention swiveled to the girl. “Yes?”

“What are we doing?”

“We’re waiting for my friend. He was helping me look for you.”

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are we going to go look for him?”

“No,” Anakin said. “But I am.”

“You’re going to leave us?” the rodian boy piped up, fear lacing his tone.

“I’ll come back,” Anakin said in the most soothing voice he could offer at the moment. “I’ll come right back as soon as I find him okay? I just need you three to stay right here and _don’t move.”_

“But…”

“It will be alright. I’ll get us all out of here very soon, I just need to find him.”

Anakin looked at the faces of the three children and had second thoughts. Maybe he should get them out of here first and then go look for Obi-Wan. However, something was telling him that he needed to go find Obi-Wan and he needed to do it _now_. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back, I promise. Don’t move.” 

The three younglings nodded reluctantly and Anakin took off into the other tunnel. 

* * *

Anakin jogged through the tunnel and was surprised by the lack of crates and droids lining the walls. The tunnel was seemingly barren until he spotted the familiar blue glow of his former Master’s saber. 

He sighed in relief. 

“Master!” Anakin shouted. 

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan shouted, but his voice didn’t sound right. “Did you find the younglings?”

“Yes, they’re waiting for us at the junction. What took you so long?”

“A minor predicament.”

Anakin’s heart sunk. The apprehension in Obi-Wan’s tone told him something was very _wrong._

Anakin walked towards Obi-Wan. “Master, what-”

“Stop!” Obi-Wan shouted suddenly. “Don’t get any closer to me. Please.”

Anakin halted in his tracks. “Obi-Wan, what’s going on?”

“I uh… well it seems the Separatists didn’t want me to take these.” He fished the data chips out of his robe and showed them to Anakin. 

“What do you mean? What are those?” 

“I don’t know what’s on them yet, but I’m guessing it’s some sort of Separatist intel.” Obi-Wan paused. “Anakin, I’m standing on a landmine and the second I step off of it… well…”

“No,” Anakin breathed. 

“Here,” Obi-Wan said, holding out the data chips with an outstretched arm. “Come forward slowly and take these back to the council. There could be highly valuable information on here.”

“What- Obi-Wan- _no._ I’m going to get you out of this. I’m going to deactivate it, you know I can do that and I’m-”

“Anakin, look at me. Take a breath. _Anakin,”_ Obi-Wan said in the calmest voice he could muster.

“No, it’s probably very simple if I just- well I don’t have the right tools right now, but I can go find some and then-”

“Anakin.”

“I just need some time- and then I-”

“Anakin, _for once_ in your life just _listen_ _to me_.”

Anakin stopped babbling and locked eyes with Obi-Wan. 

“This mineshaft is filled to the brim with separatist weapons, including explosives. When this thing goes off, it could affect the next tunnel over. It will cause a chain reaction.” Obi-Wan said solemnly. “I can hold it long enough for you to get out of here with the younglings but I don’t know how much longer after that I can stay still. Don’t come back for me. Take the datachips, take the younglings and _get out of here._ ”

“No, _no,”_ Anakin said, tears brimming in his eyes. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“It’s either me or it’s all of us,” Obi-Wan said, a certainty in his voice. _“Anakin, do the math.”_

“It doesn’t add up Obi-Wan,” Anakin’s voice cracked. “I don’t care. It doesn’t add up.”   
  


“Anakin, that’s not-” 

“Do _not_ say that is not the Jedi way right now. I don’t need another kriffing lecture from you,” Anakin spat, his rage bubbling ever closer to the surface. “I just need you to be alright.”

Anakin took a few cautious steps towards Obi-Wan. He needed to be closer to him. 

“I have a chance, Anakin,” Obi-Wan finally said after a pause. His eyes were soft in the pale blue light of his saber. “I might be able to hold the trigger down with the Force for a little bit while I step off of it, but the second it’s no longer in my view I won’t be able to hold it.”

“If you can hold it down with the Force, then let me switch with you.”

“No Anakin,” Obi-Wan said in the tone that Anakin knew meant he would not be hearing any arguments. Anakin argued nonetheless. 

“Master, please let me switch with you.”

“No, I need you to get these younglings to safety.”

“Obi-Wan, _please._ I can do it. You know I can. Please let me try.”

“ _No_ , Anakin.”

“Why not? Don’t you trust me?”

“It’s not about trust,” Obi-Wan said sharply.

“Then why?”

Obi-Wan looked down at his hands, unable to meet Anakin’s desperate eyes. 

“A Padawan should never die before their Master,” Obi-Wan said. He spoke so softly, Anakin barely heard what he was saying. “I will not let you die in my place.”

“You just said you have a chance!” Anakin cried.

“And I do, but it’s not without its risks! I’m not going to risk your life regardless of chances.”

“What if I held it with the Force while you stepped off and then-”

_“No Anakin,”_ Obi-Wan said sternly. “One of us needs to get the kids out of here. We can’t both stay here. _Go._ Save the younglings. Please.”

Anakin looked at him with sad eyes. He felt a desperate need to hug his former Master – to hold him close and not let go – but he didn’t dare touch him for fear that one small shift would set off the mine. 

“Alright,” Anakin said finally. “I will get them out of here. Wait about 15 minutes before you move, can you do that? That’s all the time I need.”

“Yes, unlike you I can sit still for 15 minutes,” he said with a half-smile that failed to reach his eyes. “But please hurry. I can hold it for now but I don't know how sensitive this thing is. If I make a minor move it could…”

“Yes, I know,” Anakin cut him off. Anakin stared at him with a dark and penetrating gaze. 

Obi-Wan held out the data chips again. _“Take them.”_

“No,” Anakin said. “You will give them to me when you are safe.”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan admonished. “Please just take them.”

Anakin’s eyes darted around with concentration. “Let’s make a deal.”

Obi-Wan sighed and shot Anakin an unimpressed look.

“I will leave. I will take the younglings and bring them to safety. You will give me the data chips, but only when you meet me on the surface.”

The two stood in silence for a beat longer than normal. Obi-Wan’s eyes narrowed before softening. “Deal.”

“Alright,” Anakin finally said, tone softer but still determined. “I’ll see you up top.”

“I’ll see you up top,” Obi-Wan replied in a firm tone. 

As Anakin turned around, a pang of sentimentality surged through Obi-Wan’s chest.

“Anakin!” Obi-Wan called out. He winced at the desperation in his voice.

“Yes?”

A laden silence filled the space between them.

“May the Force be with you.” 

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin croaked. Tears threatened to spill from Anakin’s eyes once again. 

“Yes?”

“Promise me you’ll try.”

“You know I will,” the silver-tongued Jedi said smoothly. 

“May the Force be with you, Master.” 

Anakin flashed him a hopeful smile that almost made Obi-Wan regret lying to him. 

_Almost._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeaaah I'm sorry...


	3. Voices

As a personal rule, Obi-Wan did not lie to Anakin. As another rule, Obi-Wan did everything in his power to protect Anakin. He swore to it when Anakin became his Padawan and he upheld it long after he became a knight. 

These two rules put Obi-Wan in a quandary. 

He knew that there was no way out of here, but he knew Anakin would never leave him to die if he did not believe there was a  _ chance  _ Obi-Wan could escape certain death on his own. He could not,  _ would not _ , let Anakin die with him. So Obi-Wan lied. 

It wasn’t that Obi-Wan  _ wanted _ to give up so easily. However, he knew that even if he did manage to escape the initial blast, he would likely be caught in another one, or the tunnel would inevitably collapse around him. Besides, he didn’t even know if he  _ could  _ actually hold down the pressure sensor with the Force. It would require precision that he wasn’t sure he was calm enough to access at the moment. Either way, he was nearing his end, and the thought of being crushed to death or buried alive appealed less to him than the thought of just getting it all over and done with in one instantaneous blast. And if he timed it right, he could ensure Anakin wouldn’t have time to double back and get close enough to get caught up in the explosions himself. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but think of a time so long ago when he had been willing to die in a very similar way for Qui-Gon but had been saved by the will of the Force at the last minute. The difference now was that he had lived his life. At least, he had lived more of it than he had at the age of 13. He was not old by human standards, but he had experienced more life than many humans would ever get to experience even if they  _ were _ given more time than he. Yes, Obi-Wan was willing to die back then and he was more than willing to die now. For Anakin. For his Padawan. 

Cold sweat dripped into his eyes.

Of course, it was a shame the data chips would be destroyed with him, but Obi-Wan had run some quick calculations in his head. He came to the conclusion that the war effort needed Anakin Skywalker alive more than it needed these data chips. Anakin would surely be upset, but Obi-Wan was confident that Anakin was more than capable of moving on with his life. He only wished he would be there to see the war effort all the way through – to see victory after so much death.

Refusing to dwell on his misfortune, he disengaged his saber and let himself fall into a light meditation. No, the situation was not ideal for meditating, but Obi-Wan had no desire to spend his last moments living in a panic. He released his anxieties to the Force. 

As he did so, he heard something. No, not heard… thought. He thought something. Except the thoughts were not his own. It was a voice in his head, but not his own internal monologue. It seemed to be trying to get his attention, but he ignored it. He was trying to focus on something, anything, that wasn’t his own crushing fear. The infernal voice seemed to  _ want _ him to focus on his fear. He pushed it away, forcing it back as he focused on his meditation.

Obi-Wan let twenty minutes go by before he opened his eyes again. The tunnel was pitch black. The lack of light was disorienting. He reignited his saber and blinked at the bright blue light cast before him.

Sweat continued to drip into his eyes despite the chill of the underground tunnel. His meditation hadn’t been as helpful at assuaging his fears as he hoped. Sure, he could pretend like he was at peace with what was about to happen, but his body’s physical reactions could not be so easily hidden. 

Obi-Wan  _ wanted _ to make peace with his incoming doom, but that voice, that small voice was calling to him, telling him he was meant for something more and part of him couldn’t help but believe it. He looked down at the landmine under his feet once more before deciding it would not hurt to try and figure out what the mysterious call was trying to tell him. 

It wasn’t Anakin. The voice lacked the fiery desperation – the overwhelming heat that came from Anakin’s presence. A selfish, hopeful part of him wished it had been Anakin. A part of him had always thought that Anakin would be by his side in his final moments. He pushed the thought away. It wasn’t helping him identify who or what was speaking to him.

He vaguely wondered if it could be his former Master, coming to him through some sort of supernatural feat. But it couldn’t be. Qui-Gon’s presence always felt like an ocean. All-encompassing and, for the most part, calm. In a way, this voice, this presence, did feel like that, but it lacked the wild streak – the rebellious zest for life that he had always associated with Qui-Gon’s presence. 

The voice couldn’t possibly be Ahsoka. No, his grandpadawan’s presence in his mind was always fierce and biting, but not without its own warmth and grace. His bond with Ahsoka was not nearly as strong as his bond with Anakin or the bond he had previously possessed with Qui-Gon. It wouldn’t make sense for it to be her. Besides, she was lightyears away on Coruscant catching up on her studies while Obi-Wan and her Master worked on what was supposed to be a low-risk mission. 

No, this voice,  _ this presence _ , was no one he knew, and yet it was something he knew intimately.

It was the Force itself. 

Now, Obi-Wan had spent the majority of his life in constant communication with the Force. He listened to it. He let it guide him and, in turn, he bent it to his will when he so needed to. It always manifested itself as a prick on the back of his neck or a shiver down his spine. Sometimes, when things were especially perilous, warnings from The Force tightened his chest or made him sick to his stomach, but it had never felt like this. It had never  _ sounded  _ like this. It didn’t feel like the communication he had with Anakin through their shared bond. That always felt like a conversation, but this, this felt like someone else’s thoughts were being placed in his head and they were becoming his own.

The Force called to him, pleaded with him in a way it never had – or at least in a way he had never noticed. It told him he had not yet fulfilled his purpose. It told him he needed to train the boy.

_ I trained the chosen one as best I could, my purpose has been fulfilled. He’ll bring balance with or without me, I know he will. _

The Force told him no. 

That was troubling.

_ What do you propose I do then? _

The Force told him to try harder. 

Even if the Force sired Anakin, Obi-Wan knew he could not lie to the Force as he could lie to Anakin. Ill intent could not be masqueraded behind pretty words when the Force was involved. Obi-Wan sighed in resignation.

Ultimately, it didn’t take too much convincing. Obi-Wan would do anything for Anakin and his devotion to the Force was without question. However, just because he was devoted to the Force didn’t mean he couldn’t be irritated with it from time to time. 

_ Fine, I will try harder. I’ll fight my way out of here. I’ll continue to guide your precious chosen one. Happy? _

~~~

Of course, what Obi-Wan didn’t know was that the boy the Force was referring to was _not_ Anakin. He didn’t know that years later he would be walking amongst golden sand dunes wishing he had ignored everything The Force had told him to do in that mineshaft. He didn’t know any better. How could he? The Force certainly wasn’t going to be straight with him. 

So Obi-Wan let The Force warm around him and guide his hand. 

* * *

“Are you okay?” the mon calamari girl asked quietly when Anakin returned to the rendezvous point alone. 

Anakin sniffed and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

“Where is your friend?”

“He’s uh… he’s going to catch up with us. 

“Why are you crying?” the girl asked innocently. 

Anakin swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn’t know how to answer that question without frightening the younglings. 

“My uh… my friend… he’s in danger and I’m worried about him.”

“Are we in danger?” the rodian boy piped up.

“No, no. We’re safe. He’s protecting us. I’ll get us out of here and you’ll all be safe and sound in no time. But we need to hurry, alright?”

They all nodded. 

Anakin knelt down and let the mon calamari girl climb on his back again. He made sure the other two kids were following him before taking off towards the exit. 

It didn’t take long for them to reach the slopped exit. There was no way the kids could climb out of it, otherwise, they already would have. Anakin instead centered the Force around him and used it to gently levitate the rodian boy. The boy gasped in shock and surprise before squealing with delight.

“I’m floating!”

Anakin normally would have found this all very amusing but right now his thoughts were elsewhere. 

When the youngling made it to the top, Anakin gently set him down.

“Mama!” the youngling exclaimed. Anakin could no longer see the rodian child, but he assumed he was running towards his mother’s waiting arms. His chest tightened even more.  He shook his head and looked back down at the twi’lek girl. 

“Alright, your turn!” he exclaimed, feigning cheeriness in his voice.

The girl giggled while Anakin floated her to the surface. Like the rodian, she ran to her parents excitedly.

“Okay, last one,” he said as he floated the mon calamari girl to the surface. 

Anakin took a few steps back before running and leaping up as far as he could on the wall. He climbed the rest of the way up and took in the scene before him. Loving parents greeting their lost children after days of separation. He shut down the pang of longing before he could fully feel it.

He cleared his throat and everyone turned to him. 

“You all need to get out of here,” he said with a firm tone. Obi-Wan wasn’t here. He needed to be the leader. “The tunnel is unstable, it could collapse in on itself at any minute, you all need to clear the area.”

Everyone nodded and the parents began herding their children away.

Anakin turned back towards the tunnel.

“Master Jedi,” the Mon Calamari’s mother called out.

Anakin turned but did not care enough to correct her on his titles. 

“Master Jedi, wait!” she repeated. “Thank you. Our family is in your debt.”

“You owe us nothing,” Anakin said. “We just wanted to help.”

“We?”

“My uh, my Master is still down there. He tripped on a land mine planted by the separatists. So far, it seems he’s held it. He was waiting for us to escape before he tried to make his own escape.”

The mon calamari woman put a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, Master Jedi...”

Anakin didn’t listen to whatever else she had to say. He stared openly at the gaping maw of the tunnel. He looked from her to the tunnel and back again. “I’m going to go help him.” 

“Master Jedi, wait!” the Mon Calamari woman said. “We should go get help from the village, someone who can…”

“There’s no time!” Anakin shouted as he ran towards the opening.

As he said it, a strong prickling feeling ran up and down his neck. The ground beneath him shook and dirt and stone began caving into the space where the tunnel once stood.

Their time was up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. It’s a little “dues ex the force” here, but I like exploring the bounds of the force and what it does and what it’s capable of. I like the idea that the force knows it needs Obi-Wan alive and will occasionally interfere to make sure he stays that way. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	4. Focus

With slow, careful movements Obi-Wan held his saber as close to the mine as he dared. He examined the mechanism as best he could from his position. The design was simple enough. He gathered the Force around him and with everything he had, he channeled it into the device’s pressure sensor. Holding his breath, he took a tentative step off of the mine.

It held.

He let out the breath he was holding, but his focus remained on maintaining pressure on the mine. Slowly, he backed up, easing away from the device that could very well kill him at any moment. 

As he stepped further and further away, he could feel his hold on it slipping. Only a few more cautious steps and then he would have to make a break for it. 

_ One step. _

_ Two steps. _

The Force told him to run.

Obi-Wan turned on his heels and sprinted towards the tunnel’s exit. The shockwave from the explosion almost knocked him off his feet, but he was prepared for that. It spat rocks at him but he kept running. Deafening explosions went off in the other tunnel, shaking the very ground he ran upon, but he reached the junction just in time.

As he sprinted through the main tunnel, he refused to turn around. He didn’t need to turn back to know that the tunnel was collapsing behind him.

_ Eyes forward Kenobi. _

He was close.  _ So so close _ . But the ceiling before him started to collapse too. He pulled the Force around him and used it to deflect as many falling rocks as possible but it was becoming difficult. Dodging and weaving around the collapsing parts of the tunnel was also becoming a fruitless exercise. 

The sound of explosions and the collapsing ceiling were overwhelming but Obi-Wan tuned it out. 

_ Focus.  _

He tightened his grip on the Force, preventing falling boulders and rocks from striking him down, however, with his attention focused primarily on what was above him, he was not paying as much mind to what was below. His foot caught on a newly fallen stone and he fell right alongside it. Obi-Wan gasped as he hit the ground hard. Gravel bit into his palms and his lightsaber clattered a few feet away from him. He summoned it back to his bleeding palm, but in doing so, his concentration slipped. Stones crashed into him, but he gathered the Force around him again, calling it to him as it had called to him moments prior. He willed it to protect him, even as the tunnel collapsed all around him. 

He clambered to his feet and began limping toward the entrance. Light peaked through the opening enough for him to see what he was doing. He reattached his saber to his belt and focused on keeping the Force around him. However, with every stone that hit his protective shield, it became more and more difficult to maintain and his ankle was slowing him down considerably. 

Eventually, a stone slipped through, hitting him on the shoulder hard enough to loosen his concentration and once again knock him to the ground. He landed painfully on some already fallen stones. The landing felt like a punch to the gut and it knocked the wind out of him. Gasping, he inhaled some dust and coughed weakly.

Now laying on his stomach, he threw his arms over his head, but could no longer find the strength to protect the rest of his body from the crumbling tunnel. He closed his eyes and waited. Whether he was waiting for the destruction to stop or for his own death, he was no longer sure. 

The Force told him to be calm.

* * *

Anakin coughed as dust floated in the air around him. 

_ No. _

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin screamed frantically. “Obi-Wan!”

“I’ll go to the village and get some help,” the mon calamari woman declared. 

Anakin barely registered her statement. He ran to what was once the opening of the cave and began tossing rocks to the side. Dirt caked into the nails on his flesh hand as he desperately dug through the ruin. Panic enveloped his chest and tears blurred his vision. Panting, he stood up straight and ran his dirt-covered hand through his hair. Every one of his base instincts wanted him to just keep digging until he found his lost Master, but it was that very Master’s voice in his head telling him he needed to slow down and think. 

_ Take a breath, Anakin. _

He paused and focused on controlling his breathing and clearing his mind. He reached for the bond he still held with Obi-Wan. It was muted, quieter than normal, but still there. Still alive. 

Anakin reached through the bond and brushed against Obi-Wan’s consciousness, begging him to brush back. There was no response, but it didn’t matter. Not yet anyway. Obi-Wan was alive and Anakin was going to find him. 

* * *

Obi-Wan felt a familiar presence brush against his mind, but he couldn’t focus long enough to answer it. Thoroughly disoriented, Obi-Wan wasn’t entirely sure which way was up and which way was down. The light from the entrance of the tunnel was gone now and he was left in pitch black. 

He wriggled his arms out from under him and tested the bounds of the space around him. He slipped his hand down to his belt and fumbled around for his lightsaber. He held it in front of him and ignited it, bathing the small area in blue light. There was a small amount of space in front of him created by a fallen support beam. The support beam likely saved his life. With care, he wriggled forward into the small space that was really no wider or taller than a coffin. 

_ Way to stay positive Kenobi. _

Dust and small pebbles fell on him as he shifted. Dirt sizzled and hissed as it fell onto his blade. His legs had been buried by fallen dirt and stone, but he was able to pull them out and crawl into the empty space in front of him. There wasn’t enough room to sit up, so he rolled onto his back, groaning softly as the full extent of his injuries started to make themselves known to him. 

He felt as though his whole body had been brutally beaten. He could tell his back was going to be one large bruise. As the throbbing in his ankle intensified, Obi-Wan became sure that it was at least sprained if not worse. What hurt the most was his abdomen from when he had landed on the fallen rock earlier. He half expected it to be bleeding, but when he held his lightsaber out to examine himself, he didn’t see blood on his tunics. At least not there anyway. He had minor cuts all over his body and his palms left bloody handprints on his saber’s hilt.

Once again, he felt the familiar presence brushing up against his mind. This time, he made every effort to latch onto it.


	5. Desperation

Obi-Wan could feel Anakin probing at their bond. He tried a few times to hold onto it but only succeeded in brushing up against it. With a few deep breaths, Obi-Wan centered himself and latched onto the bond. 

_ Obi-Wan!  _ A dizzying mix of relief and panic passed through their bond and Obi-Wan winced.

_ Anakin?  _ Obi-Wan projected weakly.

_ Are you alright?  _

_ I’ll be fine – assuming you can get me out of here anyway. _

_ Where are you? _

Obi-Wan let unfiltered irritation flow through their bond.  _ Oh, I’m sitting beachside catching up on my tan. It’s a lovely day don’t you think? _

_ Very funny, Obi-Wan. How close to the tunnel’s entrance did you get? _

_ Close. I don’t think I’m that far from you. _

_ Alright, I’m getting you out of there, just hold on okay? _

Obi-Wan sent a wave of acknowledgment down their bond. He let Anakin’s presence brush up against his own but he no longer felt the need to actively latch onto it. It was taking too much energy to do so.

Obi-Wan looked around the small space he was in. Heat emitted from his saber and warmed the entire space. Sweat dampened his hair and rolled into his eyes. It was too hot. He turned off the saber and was once again enveloped in pitch blackness. He couldn’t even see his hand right in front of his face. The darkness was more unsettling to him than the discomfort of the heat, so he reignited his saber.

_ Master? _

Obi-Wan hadn’t even noticed himself drifting off until Anakin pushed up against his mind, palpable concern radiating through the bond. 

_ Hmm? _

_ Obi-Wan, stay awake. _

_ Why? _

_ You might have a concussion. _

_ I don’t. _

_ How do you know? _

_ When the tunnel started collapsing, I shielded myself with the Force… mostly.  _

_ Mostly? _

_ I protected my head. I’m not concussed Anakin. Just tired.  _

He wasn't lying. Obi-Wan  _ had  _ been able to partially shield himself with the Force. Unfortunately, that shielding took a lot of energy, and the adrenaline keeping him active earlier had worn off, leaving him shaky and nauseated. 

His eyelids grew heavier, even as Anakin begged him to stay awake through their bond. 

_ It’s alright Anakin.  _

The last thing he felt was a heavy wave of panic crashing down their bond before he let himself pass out. 

* * *

The nails on Anakin’s flesh hand were torn and bloody, but he didn’t care. He continued to dig through the stone and the dirt. He had made some progress already through use of the Force, but he was concerned moving too many stones all at once would cause a shift or further collapse. If that were to happen, Obi-Wan’s escape from certain death would be short-lived indeed. 

Anakin hadn’t been able to rouse Obi-Wan. He knew that Obi-Wan was alive. He hadn’t sensed a concussion, but Anakin couldn’t be sure. He hoped it truly was just Force exhaustion and nothing more serious than that. 

He continued digging. He hissed as a sharp piece of stone cut his palm, but he didn’t stop. The task felt endless and frustration threatened to overwhelm him but he didn’t dare slow down. It was  _ Obi-Wan  _ down there. His best friend, his Master, the closest thing he would ever have to a father. There was no way he was giving up on him, not without a fight. Anakin pressed against their bond once again, but he got nothing in return. 

_ Obi-Wan, please.  _ He forced through their bond. As expected, Anakin didn’t receive a response. But he still hoped. 

With aching shoulders and bloodied hands, he continued digging. Anakin hadn’t noticed the sun begin to set. He didn’t notice much of anything, which is why he nearly sliced the mon calamari woman in half when she put a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Woah there, it’s okay, Master Jedi. It’s just me.”

Anakin’s chest heaved as he tried to regain control of his breathing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It’s alright, Master Jedi.”

“I am not a Master,” Anakin said, trying to keep the bitterness from his voice. “Call me Anakin.”

“Alright, Anakin. I’ve brought reinforcements. There’s not many of us, but we want to help.”

Anakin looked around at the group of villagers. There were about eight of them, all carrying shovels. 

“I.. I don’t know what to say. Thank you,” Anakin said, his voice trembled slightly.

“This is nothing. You and your friend helped our children. This is the least we could do.”

Anakin nodded his thanks and watched as the villagers wordlessly gathered around him and began digging. They tossed larger stones from one person to another before tossing them out of the way. Anakin grabbed a spare shovel they brought and got back to work. 

_ I’m coming for you Obi-Wan. Just hang in there.  _

* * *

It was the combination of Anakin’s incessant jabs at their bond and a clump of dirt falling in his face that woke Obi-Wan up. 

He palmed at his face, attempting to keep the dirt out of his eyes before opening them. Realizing he was once again in pitch darkness, he re-engaged his lightsaber and squinted at the bright blue light. 

In the light cast from his saber, he noticed with mild alarm that the space he was in was shrinking. More dirt and stone had fallen into the small space in front of him. Dizziness overcame him even when he shifted slightly and he vaguely wondered if he was running out of oxygen. Everything felt fuzzy. Lack of oxygen would explain that.

Dirt fell in his face again. He spat out the dirt and coughed weakly. Another stone fell, shrinking the space further still. With the final reserves of his energy, Obi-Wan gathered the Force around him and used it to shield himself once again from falling debris. 

_ Anakin.  _

The desperate thought he sent through their bond was so quiet he wasn’t sure Anakin would even sense it. His fears were assuaged when Anakin’s overwhelming emotions crashed into him.

_ Obi-Wan! Hang in there, we’re so close. Just hang on a little longer okay? _

_ I- I think I’m running out of air. _

Panic crashed into him, which did nothing to help him calm his own growing fears.

_ Obi-Wan please hold on. I’m almost there, I can feel it.  _

Obi-Wan could feel his energy waning once again but he knew if he let go of his already weak Force shield that he would just be buried alive. 

The Force told him to wait. 

_ I’m trying, but you aren’t exactly making this easy for me, are you? _

The Force fed him strength. 

Given, it wasn’t a lot of strength, but it was something. Enough to maintain his shields for a little bit longer. Of course, it did nothing for the whole lack of oxygen situation. 

_ Master, you gotta stay with me.  _

_ I’m trying, Anakin. _

_ Ahsoka will murder me if I return without her grandmaster. Please, stay with me. If not for me then for your grandpadawan.  _

Oh, that was cruel. Anakin was pulling every guilt trip in the book now. The mention of Ahsoka made Obi-Wan’s heart clench, but he didn’t have it in him to respond. His focus was solely on keeping his increasingly small pocket of space intact. Sweat stung his eyes so he turned off his saber and closed them, all focus directed at the task at hand. 

He didn’t know how long he stayed like this or when he had started shaking again, but something cool brushed against his skin. He cracked open his eyes and blinked at the small, twinkling lights above him. It took him longer than he would like to admit before he realized the coolness against his skin was fresh air and the lights he was looking up at were stars. 

He was free.

With shuddering breaths, he let go of his shields and closed his eyes. 


	6. Just Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, I'm posting this chapter a day early because Texas is seeing some... _unusual_ weather and since the state is apparently more well equipped to handle triple-digits than single digits, my power and internet have been going out off and on and will likely continue to do so tomorrow. So rather than update a day late, I thought I would update a day early. 
> 
> Here's to hoping my power stays on and I don't freeze to death in the night... Enjoy!

The men and women around Anakin cheered when they finally pulled Obi-Wan out of the dirt, but Anakin paid them no mind. All focus was on his Master who was shaking like a leaf, sweat and dirt coating his skin. He took labored, gasping breaths, like he couldn’t possibly get enough oxygen.

“Breathe, just breathe. It’s alright Master,” Anakin said, pulling his former Master into his lap. 

“See… told you… I’d try,” Obi-Wan said around shuddering breaths. 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin whispered as his former Master closed his eyes. “ _ Hey  _ Obi-Wan, stay awake for me please.” 

“Now I know where you get it from,” Obi-Wan murmured before his eyes closed.

“What does that mean?”

He didn’t get an answer. Obi-Wan was exhausted, that much he could tell. He looked otherwise okay, but Anakin couldn’t be sure.

Finally feeling the gazes of all the villagers who had helped him retrieve Obi-Wan, he looked up at all of them. “Are any of you medics?”

“No,” A rodian man said, guilt coloring his tone.

“We need to get out of here. I don’t know how badly he’s hurt.”

The villagers looked around. They had dug down quite a ways, and there was no way they were going to be able to climb out on their own. Anakin sighed. “I’m going to have to levitate all of us out of here alright?”

Everyone nodded their acceptance and Anakin got to work. 

It was one thing lifting three small children up with the Force after minimal physical activity. It was another thing entirely to lift nine grown adults up, especially after spending hours digging into soil and probing at the Force to make sure his Master was still alive. By the time he went to levitate the seventh villager, he was panting heavily and sweat had drenched his skin. 

“Are you alright?” The mon calamari woman questioned in a concerned tone. She was the only one left besides Obi-Wan. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” Anakin said between heavy breaths. He staggered forward a little bit and the Mon Calamari woman grabbed his shoulder to steady him. 

“You need to sit down.”

“No,  _ no.  _ I need to get all of you out of here and then I need to get _him_ out of here and to a medic and then I need…” he trailed off, not trusting his voice not to break. Anakin was physically and emotionally spent. He sucked in a breath and steadied himself. 

“What do you need, Anakin?” she said in a voice so calm and maternal, Anakin nearly burst into tears at the sound of it. He steeled himself and locked eyes with her.

“Do you- do you have some water?” He hated the way his voice cracked.

“Yes, of course.” She pulled out a canteen and handed it to him. He took a long draught from it before looking at her with grateful eyes. She shot another look of concern at him.

“It’s alright, I’m alright.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m going to get us out of here,” determination filled his voice once more. He pulled the Force around him, let it flow through his veins, and then directed it at the mon calamari woman as he lifted her to the surface. 

Finally, he knelt down by Obi-Wan. “Master, please wake up.”

Obi-Wan groaned, but didn’t open his eyes.

“Master, please,” he said out loud and through the Force. 

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan finally whispered. 

“Yes, Obi-Wan. It’s me. I’m going to get us out of here.”

“That’s great, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said in the dismissive but not unkind tone he had used on Anakin when he was a Padawan and had been bothering him for hours on end with question after question. Anakin’s spirit warmed at the memory of that time. It gave him the strength he needed.

“Here, you’re probably dehydrated. Drink some of this.” Anakin held the canteen to Obi-Wan’s lips and he took a few small sips. 

Obi-Wan nodded his thanks.

“I’m going to levitate you up to the surface alright?”

Obi-Wan hummed before his eyes flashed open. “Wait! You’re going to what?”

“Too late Master!” Anakin called as he lifted Obi-Wan to the surface. His eyes widened and he squirmed a little before recognizing that he probably shouldn’t push against Anakin right now. 

As gently as he could, Anakin set Obi-Wan down on the ground above him. Thankfully some of the other villagers were aiding him and ensured that Obi-Wan was set down softly. The event seemed to wake him up and he looked around at the villagers with wide eyes. He crawled to the edge of the cliff and peered down at Anakin.

Anakin took a deep breath and took a few steps back before leaping to the surface. He  _ almost  _ cleared the top but didn’t jump quite high enough. He gripped the edge of the wall, grasping for purchase with panicked desperation. The fall wouldn’t kill him, but it wouldn’t be soft either and he didn’t know if he had the strength to make this jump again. With an energy and swiftness Anakin didn’t think he possessed at the moment, Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin’s wrists in a vice-like grip. 

“You know, you’re heavier than you look,” Obi-Wan groaned, breathing heavily as he held fast to Anakin’s wrists. 

“Likewise,” Anakin grit out between clenched teeth. 

The villagers swarmed around Obi-Wan and helped pull Anakin the rest of the way up. 

“Thank you,” Anakin said to the villagers in between exhausted breaths. He quickly turned his attention back to Obi-Wan.

“Master, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” he said evenly. “What about you?”

“I’m okay.”

Obi-Wan stared at him, attempting to assess if Anakin was lying to him. His eyes widened again and he began digging through his tunics. With a smile, he pulled out the data chips he had stolen from the cave. One of them was damaged, but the other three looked perfectly intact. He handed them to Anakin who took them and examined them closely.

“There,” Obi-Wan said. “I held up my end of the deal.”

“That you did, Master,” Anakin grinned.

“We should get back to our ship and back to Coruscant,” Obi-Wan said. “We need to get those data chips to the council.

“You need medical attention.”

“Anakin, I’m fine. Truly. I’m just tired.”

“But…”

“Anakin,” the mon calamari woman interjected. “I agree that he should seek medical attention, but it might be best that he receives it on Coruscant. Our medical facilities are… lacking, to say the least. Plus, our healers are not used to working with humans.” 

“See?” Obi-Wan said. “We should get going.”

“Fine,” Anakin said. “But I’m making you go to the halls when we get back. If nothing else, that ankle needs to go in bacta. When we get to the ship we can wrap it.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Well, then lead the way.”

Anakin pulled Obi-Wan’s arm around his shoulder and together they hobbled back towards the village where their ship was awaiting them. 

The villagers walked alongside them and offered to take Obi-Wan’s weight, but Anakin refused. He wanted to be as close to Obi-Wan as possible, irrationally fearing that letting him out of his sight might mean he would disappear forever. 

Anakin sighed in relief when his eyes landed on the ship they arrived in. Obi-Wan was becoming increasingly heavier and he didn’t know how much longer he could bear his weight. 

Before they boarded the ship, Anakin turned to the villagers. “Thank you, for all of your help today.”

“After what you did, it was the least we could do,” the mon calamari woman said.

“Well, we appreciate it all the same.”

They parted ways and Anakin hobbled up the ship’s ramp with Obi-Wan at his side. 

* * *

“Alright, it’s a two-day trip back to Coruscant. Think you’ll be fine until then?” Anakin asked warily.

Obi-Wan nodded. “I’ll be fine. Just as long as you don’t crash the ship,” he added with a wry smile.

“Don’t tempt me, Master.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“Here,” Anakin said, digging through a medical kit. “I’ve got some bacta and some gauze. Let me see that ankle.”

Obi-Wan gingerly tried to pull off his boot. He let out a small pained gasp, but in the quiet of hyperspace, it was loud enough for Anakin to hear. 

“Master, wait. Let me get it.”

“It’s alright, Anakin, I can…”

“I know you can. Just let me.”

Obi-Wan gave up and let Anakin take off the boot and wrap the offending ankle in a tight layer of gauze and bacta. 

“This should work for now, but I think you’re going to need more bacta when we get to Coruscant.”

Obi-Wan looked at it ruefully. “Unfortunately, I think you’re right.”

“For once, I wish I wasn’t.”

“It’ll be fine Anakin. Let’s just take it easy until we get to Coruscant. We’ll worry about it then.”

Anakin nodded while he dug around the ship. He pulled out a rag that looked mostly clean and took it to the ship’s small fresher, where he wet it under the faucet.

“Here,” he said, handing the wet rag to Obi-Wan. “You’re still covered in dirt.”

Obi-Wan gratefully accepted it. There was no shower on this small ship so he was appreciative of the gesture. It felt good to get at least some of the dirt and grime off of his face and hands. He combed his hands through his hair and shook out as much of the dirt as possible, though getting it completely out was proving an impossible task. 

Anakin dug around some more and handed Obi-Wan a change of clothes, but this time, Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin’s wrist instead of what was being handed to him.

“Anakin, your hand,” Obi-Wan whispered, examining the torn up flesh and missing nails.

“Oh, yeah, it’s uh, not as bad as it looks,” Anakin said sheepishly. “The other one is fine.”

“The  _ other one  _ is made of  _ metal. _ ”

“Really, it’s not that bad.”

Obi-Wan stood up and hobbled over to where Anakin was digging around earlier. 

“What are you doing?” Anakin said, exasperated.

“We need to clean up that hand. I don’t want it getting infected while we’re stuck in hyperspace for two days.”

Obi-Wan found another washcloth and wet it. He limped back over to Anakin and took his hand in his. Gently, he dabbed away the dirt and dried blood. Anakin winced when Obi-Wan went over some of the more troublesome cuts, but otherwise didn’t complain. He put bacta on the cuts before giving Anakin another once-over. 

“I’m fine, Master. Really,” Anakin insisted. “It’s you I’m more worried about.”

“You needn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just have some light bruising, it will go away in time.”

“I’m still going to worry about you.”

“I know,” Obi-Wan said, lips quirked in a half-smile.

Anakin returned the smile before turning towards the cockpit.

“You stay here and get some rest.”

“But…”

“It’s okay Obi-Wan. It’s in autopilot so I can sleep for a little while I’m up there.”

Obi-Wan eyed him suspiciously before conceding. “Fine, but wake me up if you need me.”

“Deal.”

Obi-Wan watched Anakin as he strode to the cockpit and closed the dividing door behind him.

Sighing deeply, Obi-Wan peeled off his dirt-covered tunics. Looking down, he noticed a massive purple bruise on his abdomen. He didn’t even want to know what his back looked like. He winced even as the soft fabric of his clean tunics lightly brushed against his beaten body. 

Feeling marginally more refreshed in a clean set of clothes and with most of the dirt off of his skin, he slipped into a small bunk that was built into the ship’s wall. He curled up on his side – the only part of him that didn’t feel agonizing to lay on. 

Sighing, he attempted to let his body relax. All that was left was the return flight to Coruscant. The mission was over. His escape was over. His pain would soon be over. 

So why was the Force telling him it wasn’t over?


	7. Hurry Up and Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Two updates in two days!

“How are classes going?” Anakin asked. He sat in the pilot’s chair and stared at the flickering image of his Padawan. He wanted to check in with Ahsoka before he let himself go to sleep. 

“They’re fine,” Ahsoka said, her whole body a pale blue in the ship’s holographic communication system. 

“Just fine?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Master. I like learning about this stuff, but it’s tough going from fighting in battles against hundreds of droids to sitting at a desk and listening to a lecture about philosophy.”

“Yeah well, you’re lucky that I’m your Master, not Obi-Wan,” Anakin said with a glimmer in his eyes. “I get to listen to philosophy lectures  _ while  _ I fight off hundreds of droids, as if the battles weren’t exhausting enough on their own.”

Ahsoka giggled. “And how is my grandmaster? Can I talk to him?”

Anakin hesitated for just a moment too long.

“Master, is Obi-Wan okay?”

“Yes, I think so. We just got into some trouble.” 

“Of course you did. What happened?”

Anakin regaled her with the whole story.

“That’s way more interesting than philosophy lessons.”

Anakin laughed, but it quickly morphed into a yawn.

“I should let you go, Skyguy. It’s late here. Besides, you clearly need your beauty sleep.”

“Oh shut up,” Anakin shot back, but he still smiled at her.

“Bye, Master,” Ahsoka smirked before cutting off the line. Anakin switched off his side of the comm before settling himself further into the pilot’s chair.

It hadn’t taken long for the light humming of the ship to have an effect on Anakin. The younger Jedi fell into a deep sleep, the exhaustion of the day catching up with him. 

Roughly twelve hours later, a dull thud pulled him out of his sleep. He looked around blearily for a second, confusion from sleeping so long making his mind cloudy. He rubbed his eyes before standing up and stretching. His muscles were sore from digging yesterday and from sleeping in the pilot’s chair, but he pushed past it. 

He waved open the dividing door and his heart plummeted at the sight. Obi-Wan was laying on his side on the floor of the ship, a few paces away from the bunk where he had been sleeping. 

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin shouted as he ran and knelt by his Master’s side. 

Obi-Wan’s skin was frighteningly pale and it glistened with sweat. There were dark circles under his eyes which remained closed no matter how much Anakin shouted at him. Anakin shook his shoulders and finally, Obi-Wan’s blue eyes opened. 

“Obi-Wan, what happened?”

Obi-Wan looked just as confused as Anakin felt. His eyes darted around before landing on Anakin’s panic-stricken face. “Think I passed out.”

“What? Why? Why did you pass out?”

“Well it wasn’t exactly my first choice of things to do,” Obi-Wan retorted.

“Obi-Wan, _ what’s wrong?” _

“I- I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.

“Is it your head? Do you have a concussion?”

“No, I already told you I don’t have a concussion,” Obi-Wan said, exasperated. “Though I do have a bit of a headache now.”

Anakin knew that if Obi-Wan was admitting to “a bit of a headache,” that what he was feeling was probably much worse. 

“What else is wrong?”

Obi-Wan didn’t answer, he just knelt his head back against the bunk and closed his eyes. 

“Come on, stay with me, what’s going on?”

“Think I’m going to be sick,” Obi-Wan said weakly, his eyes remaining closed.

Anakin looked around wildly before grabbing a bin and placing it in front of Obi-Wan. The older Jedi retched into the bin, his whole body shaking. 

Anakin looked at him with horrified eyes. “I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan whispered. “I’ll clean this up, just give me a…”

“No, no it’s not that,” Anakin interjected. “Master,  _ you’re throwing up blood.”  _

“Oh. That’s probably not a good sign.”

“Master, what’s happening?” Anakin couldn’t hide the terror in his voice. 

“Don’t know,” Obi-Wan whispered, his eyes half-lidded.

“Something is wrong.” Panic-stricken blue eyes flashed at Obi-Wan.

“Glad we’re on… the same page,” the older Jedi replied softly.

“This isn’t funny, Obi-Wan!”

“Stop… panicking.”

Anger flooded Anakin’s veins.  _ “Stop panicking?  _ We’re a day’s travel away from the temple and you’re throwing up blood and you want me to stop panicking? Are you serious right now?”

“Yes.”

His simple and straightforward answer cut through Anakin’s wild emotions like a knife. He took a few more heavy, panicked breaths before attempting to clear his mind. “Okay, okay, okay,” he said under his breath, reigning himself in. “Okay, what do I need to do?” 

“Contact the temple,” Obi-Wan whispered. 

“Right,” Anakin said firmly. “Stay awake. I’ll be right back.”

“Mmhmm.”

Anakin scrambled back to the cockpit and entered the temple’s frequency into the communicator. 

“I need to speak to Master Che!” Anakin yelled as soon as his transmission was answered. He wasn’t paying attention to who answered it. Anxiety continued to grip his chest even as Obi-Wan’s teachings echoed in his mind. 

_ Take a breath, Anakin.  _

_ Stop panicking, Anakin.  _

_ Give yourself to the Force, Anakin.  _

Some things are easier said than done. 

Finally, Vokara Che answered the transmission. The twi’lek healer glowed blue in the ship’s comm. 

“Anakin, what’s going on?” 

“It’s Obi-Wan.”

She sighed. “Of course it is. What’s wrong?”

“I- I don’t know. He passed out and then he threw up blood and he said he has a headache and-”

“Slow down, Skywalker,” the healer said in a calming voice. “Back up. Tell me what happened.” 

Anakin told her everything he knew. Everything about the ill-fated mission into the abandoned mineshaft, the datachips, the land mine, the cave in. He caught her up on Obi-Wan’s current state as best he could. 

Master Che nodded along. 

“Young Skywalker, I need you to do me a favor and look at his chest and abdomen for me. See if any of his ribs are broken or if he has any unusual bruising.”

“Okay, I can do that. I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere.”

“I’ll be right here when you return,” Master Che soothed.

Anakin dashed out into the ship’s hull and knelt down by Obi-Wan’s side again. “I need to get all of this off of you alright.” Obi-Wan nodded but made no motion to help Anakin. 

Anakin pulled his robe off of him and then gingerly pulled his tunic over his head. 

Anakin gasped.

_ “Master.” _

“Hmm?”

Anakin took in the sight of his beaten and battered former Master. There was one massive bruise on his abdomen and it was surrounded by lighter bruising. Anakin gently pulled him forward towards him to examine his back. The sight of it made Anakin want to throw up. 

“Master, you said you had  _ light  _ bruising.” 

“Must be worse than I thought.” 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Anakin huffed. “Alright, wait here. I need to report back to Master Che.”

“Send her my love. It’s been too long.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Not long enough.”

He bound back into the cockpit and stood in front of the comm again. “His ribs seem fine, but he’s covered in bruises. They’re all over his back and he has one large one on his stomach, plus other light bruising in the area.”

“I was worried about that,” Master Che said more to herself than to Anakin. “Without being there, I can’t confirm it, but my best bet is that he has internal bleeding.”

Anakin’s panic soared. “What? What can I do about it? How do I fix this?” 

“I’m afraid you can’t. There’s not that much that can be done until you get him back here. Then we will likely have to perform surgery on him.”

“Master Che, we still have a full day's flight before we get to Coruscant.”

Her lips thinned into a straight line and her eyebrows furrowed. “Try to keep him still. The only thing you can do for him now is let him rest. Make sure he drinks water. He might seem a little out of it as it gets worse. Confusion and delirium are not uncommon when it gets bad.”

Anakin’s jaw tightened. “Okay, thank you, Master.”

“Of course,” she replied. “And Anakin?”

“Yes?”

“Hurry.”

Anakin nodded solemnly before signing off and returning to his Master. 


	8. A Matter of Genetics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA our boys talk to each other.

Obi-Wan shivered on the ground. The metal floor was cold against his exposed skin. He knew he should probably try and get up and get back into his soft, warm bunk, but his force of will was lacking at the moment. 

The Force told him he needed to get up.

He groaned pathetically from his place on the floor and moved to get up, but his strength faltered and he fell back down. For once, he ignored the wishes of the Force and closed his eyes. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t tell how much time had passed if any had passed at all. He was awoken by Anakin’s cool hand pressed against his face. Anakin brushed away the hair that had fallen into his eyes. Obi-Wan blinked up at him a few times before his eyes focused.

“Anakin, did you reach the temple?”

“Yes, Obi-Wan. Master Che believes you have internal bleeding, but she won’t be able to tell until we return to Coruscant.”

“Which won’t be for another day, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Figures.”

The unspoken question of whether he actually had that long hung in the air between them before Anakin broke the tense silence.

“How are you feeling?”

“Oh me? Never better. I love laying half-naked on the cold, metal floor while bleeding internally.”

Anakin’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh, I’m sorry Master. Here.” Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan and pulled him up. He dragged him over to the bunk and left him in a sitting position before turning around to retrieve his tunics. Anakin helped him pull the tunics on, careful not to touch his beaten body too much.

The soft tunics did make him feel warmer, but they did little to help with the odd, floaty feeling that was taking over. He felt… off. Like his thoughts were scattered and difficult to organize. He wanted to talk to Anakin. Comfort him. However, he couldn’t seem to form the right words in his mind let alone say them aloud. 

“Anakin…” he attempted.

“Here,” Anakin interrupted, pressing a water bottle to his lips. “Drink this.”

Obi-Wan accepted the water gratefully. It felt cool against his throat which still burned from throwing up earlier. Anakin gently grabbed the water bottle from his hands. “Only drink small sips, Master.”

“I see where you get it from,” Obi-Wan said with half-lidded eyes.

“Get what from? Why do you keep saying that?” 

“Your attitude,” Obi-Wan mumbled. “The Force is  _ very  _ annoying sometimes.”

“What?” Anakin scoffed.

“So bossy.”

“The Force is  _ bossy _ ?” Anakin questioned.

“Yes… always telling me when I can and can’t die. You two have much in common. I mean, I know your father is  _ technically  _ the Force, but it’s never been more apparent than it was today.”

“Did you… did you  _ speak to the Force? _ ” 

“No, the Force spoke to  _ me _ .” Obi-Wan stuck his chin out in indignation. He eyed the water bottle before Anakin handed it back to him. He took small sips from it.

“I don’t know what that means, but I’m going to go ahead and say I agree with the Force,” 

“Figures,” Obi-Wan mumbled. “You never agree with me.”

Anakin stifled a laugh. “I think you would get bored if I agreed with you all the time.”

“Peace is not boring, Anakin.”

“And how would you know?” Anakin fired back.

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows knit together in concentration. “Suppose I wouldn’t.”

“Exactly,” Anakin said with a smile. Then his eyes narrowed. “Wait, why did the Force tell you not to die.”

Obi-Wan looked down at his hands and sighed deeply.

“I may not have been fully honest with you... back there in the mineshaft. I didn’t want to lie to you. I  _ never _ lie to you, but this time I did,” Obi-Wan said, tears suddenly pricking his eyes. That “off” feeling was intensifying. He was finding it more and more difficult to control his emotions.  _ That _ was annoying. 

_ Confusion-worry-hurt  _ all shot through Anakin’s side of the bond like a tidal wave. “When did you lie to me? What were you lying to me about?” 

“I needed you to escape. I knew you wouldn’t leave without me unless I made you believe I’d be right behind you. I told you I would try, but I… I didn’t mean it. Not in the moment anyway.” 

“What? Why didn’t you want to even  _ try _ to escape?”

“I didn’t think I would make it even if I tried. I didn’t want to try to escape just to get crushed to death or buried alive. Anakin, believe me, I didn’t  _ want  _ to just give up, but I couldn’t… I couldn’t let you die… I couldn’t let you die with me.” 

His voice broke. The admittance brought something to the surface. Residual fear. Overwhelming sadness. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what it was. A mix of both perhaps. He knew he had been close to death today and he knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet. He felt scared like he so often had felt as a youngling. It hurt. But it hurt worse to see the look on Anakin’s face. 

“You needed to escape,” Obi-Wan added. “That’s all that mattered. You need to bring balance. I knew you could do that without me. Or so I thought. The Force seems to have a differing opinion.”

“Master… I…”

“The Force spoke to me,” Obi-Wan said again, cutting him off. “It wasn’t a feeling like it normally is. It was a thought. It was an  _ order _ . It said I needed to protect you. Actually, it said I need to ‘protect the boy,’ though I assume that’s you.” 

“Why would it say you need to protect me? Protect me from what?”

“The Force isn’t overly fond of detailed instructions, I’m afraid.”

“Master, I… You can’t give up on me like that,” Anakin said. 

Obi-Wan could feel Anakin’s emotions walking a very fine line between an all-encompassing rage and a crippling fear. Obi-Wan hated that he was the cause for either and his thoughts felt too blurry and uncontrolled for him to accurately navigate that fine line.

“I wasn’t giving up on you,” Obi-Wan said defensively. “I didn’t think there was another choice…”

“Clearly there was.”

“Anakin, I-” Obi-Wan gasped as a fresh wave of pain overtook his body. He felt sick and dizzy and completely incapable of stringing together coherent thoughts. 

“Obi-Wan? What is it?” Anakin said, all anger in his tone replaced by anxiety. 

“I.. agh,” he groaned through clenched teeth. His back was arched and his eyes were squeezed tightly closed as he tried to ride through the pain. 

“Are you going to be sick again?”

Obi-Wan nodded tightly, his eyes still squeezed shut. Anakin pushed the bin into Obi-Wan’s lap and he retched violently into it. 

Obi-Wan vaguely felt Anakin maneuvering himself so that he was sitting side-by-side with him instead of across from him. He felt Anakin's gentle hand on his shoulder, careful to avoid his wounds. 

Breathing heavily, Obi-Wan set the bin aside. He tried not to pay attention to how much blood he had vomited but it was difficult to ignore the metallic taste on his tongue. 

Anakin wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders and Obi-Wan felt himself slumping into Anakin’s grip. He rested his head on Anakin’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan whispered.

“For what?”

“I’m afraid your rescue efforts may soon be in vain.”

“Don’t talk like that, Master. We’ll get to Coruscant before you know it. We’ll get help. You’ll be alright, I promise. You just need to get some rest, that’s all.”

Obi-Wan didn’t want to argue with him. “Okay, Anakin.”

Anakin got up and helped Obi-Wan lay down in the bunk. 

“Just sleep, Obi-Wan. We’ll be there soon.”

Obi-Wan nodded. As he drifted off to sleep, he could have sworn he heard a faint whisper of “don’t give up on me” hanging in the air between them.

The Force told him he was right.


	9. Friendly Fire

Anakin watched Obi-Wan sleep fitfully with growing anxiety. They still had a few hours before they would get to Coruscant, but Obi-Wan appeared to be getting worse with every passing hour.

In the meantime, Anakin switched out the bacta and gauze that had been wrapped around Obi-Wan’s sprained ankle. The bacta seemed to be helping considerably, but it would still need to be looked at once they returned to Coruscant.

Anakin then took off the bacta and bandages from his own hand and was pleased to see that only faint red marks remained. His nails would need to grow back, but besides that, his hand was almost healed. 

Anakin ran his fingers through Obi-Wan’s auburn hair, smoothing it out as best he could. He tried to comb through some of the dirt that had been left in it, knowing that Obi-Wan hated being dirty. 

“I’ll be right back,” Anakin murmured. Obi-Wan didn’t reply, so Anakin stood up and made his way back to the cockpit. He checked through all the readings and gauges on the ship’s nav computer. 

Three hours. That was all that was left in their flight. They could make it three hours. At least, Anakin  _ hoped  _ they could make it three hours. 

Anakin messed with a few more readings before a strong wave of panic and confusion crashed against his mind from Obi-Wan’s side of the bond. Anakin gasped and staggered to the side at the sudden onslaught before getting control of his shields. 

_ Obi-Wan, it’s alright. I’m here.  _ Anakin sent through their bond as he hurried back to his injured Master. 

When he returned, the first thing he noticed was Obi-Wan’s eyes. They were wild and glassy and the blue shone brightly against the unusual pallor of his skin. He was breathing a little too heavily and Anakin instantly knelt down by his side and grabbed onto his shoulders.

“Obi-Wan, it’s okay, I’m here. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Obi-Wan jerked back sharply. He pressed himself as far back into the corner of the bunk as he could, his knees pressed tightly against his chest.  _ “Get away from me,”  _ Obi-Wan growled.

Anakin threw his palms up and leaned backward slightly. His alarm skyrocketed. “Master, it’s me, it’s Anakin.” 

_ “No!”  _ Obi-Wan shouted. He appeared as though he was looking through Anakin, not at him.“No! You  _ killed  _ Anakin. You  _ killed  _ him. You killed  _ everyone. _ ” 

The words stung like venom. Well, not so much the words, as the  _ tone. _ Obi-Wan never sounded like this and he certainly had never spoken to Anakin like this. Anakin was confused and terrified by his former Master’s accusations. 

“I have to protect him,” Obi-Wan panted. “I have to protect him from you.  _ The Force wills it so.” _

“Obi-Wan, it’s me!” Anakin pleaded. “I haven’t hurt anyone and I’m not going to hurt you. Please calm down.” 

“You want me to be  _ calm  _ after what you’ve done?”

“I haven’t done anything, Obi-Wan! Please.”

“All I see is a liar. A traitor.  _ A murderer,”  _ Obi-Wan snarled.

Anakin swallowed thickly. He logically knew that Obi-Wan was probably made delusional by the blood loss, but the words gave him anxiety. Had he had a vision? Or was it just some sort of twisted nightmare based in Obi-Wan’s deeper, darker fears? Was the Force speaking to him again? Was it enacting its will,  _ through _ him? Anakin had no idea, he just knew he needed to calm Obi-Wan down.

_ “Obi-Wan please,”  _ Anakin begged. “It’s Anakin. Your Padawan. I’m right here. I’m safe.”

Faster than Anakin could anticipate, Obi-Wan scrambled out of the bunk until he was standing on the grated walkway that ran through the ship. He swayed slightly and he squeezed his eyes shut as though he were trying to shake his dizziness. While he regained his balance, Anakin stood up across from Obi-Wan and held his hands out placatingly. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Anakin said in a calm voice as he reached forward. That was his mistake. Obi-Wan raised his hand and Anakin felt himself getting flung across the ship. He hit the dividing door between the hull and the cockpit hard. He saw stars as he slid down the door and fell into a heap on the floor. With the wind knocked out of him, he found himself gasping for air.

“Obi… Obi-Wan  _ please,”  _ he gasped desperately as Obi-Wan stalked towards him like an apex predator going in for the kill. He still favored his left ankle, but the other one didn’t seem to slow him down too much. He continued forward and brandished his lightsaber.

“You don’t deserve the mercy of the Jedi,” Obi-Wan seethed.

Anakin’s saber was nowhere within sight. He must have left it in the cockpit. He couldn’t defend himself from Obi-Wan’s saber and he would not do anything to hurt his master. 

“Master, I  _ am  _ a Jedi. It’s  _ me.  _ It’s Anakin!”

Obi-Wan raised his saber to strike.

_ Master, please see me.  _ Anakin sent the desperate plea through their bond. 

Obi-Wan stopped mid-swing. The glassy quality of his eyes shattered away, leaving something far more vulnerable behind.

_ Anakin? _

Obi-Wan crashed to his knees, his saber deactivating as he fell. Anakin crawled to Obi-Wan and gripped his shoulders. Obi-Wan let out a ragged breath.

_ I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry.  _

Anakin pulled Obi-Wan into a fierce hug and the older Jedi buried his head into his shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re not yourself,” he soothed. 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean- the Force.  _ It’s messing with my head _ . I can’t-”

“It’s alright.”

“I had a vision and I thought- it was so real-  _ I’m so sorry.” _

“It’s okay, Master, really.”

“No, it’s not. I could have killed you, I  _ almost  _ killed you.”

Obi-Wan’s shoulders had started to shudder. Anakin ran his fingers through Obi-Wan’s hair in lieu of rubbing his bruised and beaten back. It was the only comforting thing he could think to do at the moment. 

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan sobbed.

“Hush, Obi-Wan. It’s alright. I’m okay.”

Obi-Wan didn’t reply. He continued to shake slightly, but with every breath, he seemed to calm himself more.

“It’s okay, it’s over,” Anakin continued to murmur. 

Before long, the shuddering stilled. Anakin pulled away but held Obi-Wan up by his shoulders. 

“Obi-Wan?”

His red-rimmed eyes were dark and full of regret. Anakin dragged him to his feet and he blinked tiredly at Anakin. 

“Come on now, let’s get you back in bed. You’re supposed to stay still anyway.”

Obi-Wan let Anakin guide him and he lay heavily back down in the soft bunk. His eyes darted around, landing everywhere but on Anakin. He couldn’t seem to meet Anakin’s gaze. 

“Obi-Wan, it’s okay. Really,” Anakin reassured.

“It’s not,” Obi-Wan said. Sorrow and regret seemed to weigh his shoulders down.

“Do you want to talk about your vision?”

“No. But to be fair, I can’t remember much of it.”

“You don’t remember anything?”

“It’s hazy. Obi-Wan said, a haunted look passing over his face. “I remember fire. Lightsabers colliding with one another. And there were  _ babies _ and they were  _ crying. _ ” 

“Babies?”

“Two of them. Newly born. That’s all I remember – just fragments.” 

“That’s okay,” Anakin replied softly. “Probably for the best anyway.”

“Probably.”

Anakin shot Obi-Wan a half-smile, which wasn’t returned to him. 

“We’re almost there, Obi-Wan. I just need you to hang on a little longer.” 

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Don’t talk like that. Don’t you dare talk like that alright? We’re going to get you to the temple in time. You’ll be fine.”

Obi-Wan nodded but didn’t look convinced. 

“Hey, let’s make a deal,” Anakin said quickly.

Obi-Wan groaned. “I’m tired of making deals with you.”

“When we get back to Coruscant and you are well again, we can go to that old world book shop you like. You can pick anything out and I’ll read the whole thing cover-to-cover. I promise,” Anakin said, ignoring Obi-Wan’s protests.

Obi-Wan perked up slightly. “The one with the leather-bound books?”

“Yes, the very one.”

“What do I have to do?”

“Stay alive.”

“Mmmm,” Obi-Wan hummed weakly, his eyes half-lidded. “Deal.”

“I’m holding you to that one,” Anakin said.

“Okay.”

“You just need to get some rest,” Anakin said, squeezing Obi-Wan’s hand in his. “Go to sleep, I’ll wake you when we get to Coruscant.”

Obi-Wan hesitated. “What if I-”

“You won’t.”

“But I did.”

“I’ll watch over you. If it seems like you’re having a vision, I’ll get you out of it okay? Just like this time. I’ll get you out.”

“If I try to hurt you again, you have to defend yourself, Anakin. Promise me.”

Anakin hesitated. He knew in his heart that he would never hurt Obi-Wan, but his Master really needed to get some rest. Anakin could lie too. “I promise.”

“Good.” Obi-Wan’s eyes fluttered closed, but he looked anything but peaceful.

“Anakin?” he murmured. 

“Yes, Obi-Wan?”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

Anakin sighed. “You didn’t hurt me, Master. It’s okay.”

A final tear slid down Obi-Wan’s face before Anakin sensed he had completely fallen asleep. Anakin gently wiped it away and continued to hold his cold hand. 

“It’ll be okay,” Anakin murmured, not knowing for sure if he was right this time around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave kudos or comments or come talk to me on [ Tumblr](https://stolen-pen-name23.tumblr.com/)!


	10. The Shepherd

With a little less grace and a lot more urgency than normal, Anakin pulled their ship out of hyperspace and landed it in the temple hangar. He ran back out to the hull and shook Obi-Wan’s shoulders.

“Obi-Wan, wake up! We’re here!”

Obi-Wan didn’t stir. 

“Master?” Anakin whispered. 

Panic swirled around in Anakin’s chest, making it difficult to breathe as he searched for a pulse. The panic didn’t dissipate even when he did find a pulse. It was faint, but it was there nonetheless. 

“Come on Master, you gotta get up,” Anakin pleaded.

Anakin poked at their bond and Obi-Wan finally blinked up at him owlishly.

“Look, Master! We’re back at the temple, I told you we’d make it.”

“Home?”

“Yes, we’re home.”

“Good. That’s… good…” Obi-Wan’s head lolled to the side.

“Master?”

With effort, Obi-Wan turned to look up at Anakin again. “Anakin, I’m… I’m…”

“What? What is it, what do you need?”

Obi-Wan’s eyes softened. He reached up and gently touched Anakin’s face. “I’m so proud of you.” 

Anakin’s stomach turned to lead and his heart thundered in his chest.

Obi-Wan’s hand fell heavily to his side and his eyes slid closed once again.

“No, no, no, you gotta stay with me, Master,” Anakin said, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to wake Obi-Wan back up. Instead, he scooped him into his arms and ran down the ship’s ramp. He jogged through the temple until he reached the halls of healing. Panting with exertion, he was relieved to see the healers were already waiting for him. Master Che helped him gently lay Obi-Wan down on a gurney and several healers swarmed around him. 

“Is he going to be alright?” Anakin asked as Master Che and the other healers started moving Obi-Wan back into an operating room. 

Vokara looked at him with a grim expression. “I will do everything I can, Skywalker.”

Anakin was left standing alone in the deserted waiting area suddenly feeling shaky and lightheaded. His knees buckled and he felt himself collapsing to the ground.

“Master!” a voice shouted at him. Small but strong hands were gripping him and dragging him over to a bench. 

“Master!” the voice exclaimed again.  _ “Anakin. _ ”

Anakin turned to look at the source of the voice and found himself looking into the wide blue eyes of his Padawan.

“Ahsoka,” he whispered weakly. 

“I’m here, Master. What’s wrong? What’s going on? Where’s Master Kenobi? Are you hurt? Where is...” 

_ “Snips.” _

“Sorry, Master,” she said sheepishly. “One thing at a time. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, uh I’m fine, just a little dizzy I guess.”

Ahsoka looked at him quizzically. “Are you hurt?”

Anakin shot her a confused look. “What? No, it’s Obi-Wan that’s hurt. He’s in surgery now I think.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Ahsoka said, her eyes shining with worry.

“I... I don’t know. It was bad Snips.” Anakin stood up again, but staggered to the side.

“Woah there, Master. I think you need to sit down.”

“No, I don’t, I just…”

“Are you sure you’re not injured?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I had a cut on my hand, but it’s already healing. I’m perfectly fine.” 

“When was the last time you ate?”

“I uh, I don’t know,” Anakin said. Now that he thought about it, he realized he hadn’t eaten anything since the first night on the ship. After that he had been too preoccupied and too sick with worry over Obi-Wan’s condition to even consider eating anything. Now, he noticed the gnawing ache in his empty stomach.

“Come on,” Ahsoka said, grabbing him by the elbow and pulling him towards the exit.

“Hey, wait! I need to be here, I need to make sure…”

“Master Kenobi is in surgery right?”

“Yes.”

“Then we have time to get some food in you.”

Anakin hesitated. He looked back and forth between the hallway Obi-Wan had been taken down and at Ahsoka. Anakin sighed.

“I think you’re right.”

“I’m always right,” she smirked and Anakin couldn’t help but smile at that.

* * *

Anakin and Ahsoka sat across from each other in the temple mess hall. There were a few other Jedi and Padawans scattered around the large room, but Anakin and Ahsoka were in a wide space just to themselves. 

Anakin dug in ravenously to the food in front of him.

“Hey, slow down. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

Anakin narrowed his eyes at her. “I thought I was the Master and you were the Padawan?”

“Then why am I always looking after you?”Ahsoka fired back.

Anakin just smiled at her. “It is good to see you, Snips. The past few hours have been… rough.”

“It’s good to see you too, Skyguy. I wish I had been there with you.”

“I know, but it’s important you keep up with your studies. This wasn’t supposed to be an eventful mission.”

“They never are.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Do you think,” Ahsoka paused like she wasn’t sure if she should finish her question. 

“Do I think what?”

“Do you think Master Kenobi is going to be okay?”

Anakin’s eyes turned downcast. “I don’t know.” He pushed away his food, suddenly not feeling very hungry anymore.

“Come on,” Ahsoka said. “It’s Master Kenobi. He’s always okay, right? He always pulls through.” She didn’t know if she was reassuring herself or Anakin at this point.

“Yeah, he does,” Anakin said softly. 

Wordlessly, the pair got up and cleared their trays. 

“You need a shower, Skyguy,” Ahsoka said, making a face. 

“Sorry, I’ve been a tad preoccupied,” Anakin said, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go home and get cleaned up. Then we can go check on Obi-Wan.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ahsoka smiled.

* * *

Warm water ran down Anakin’s body, bringing small comfort to worn muscles. Under the right circumstances, he would have stood under the showerhead until the water ran cold, but these circumstances were not right. 

His thoughts lingered on Obi-Wan. He took comfort in that he could still feel Obi-Wan on the other side of their bond. The connection was faint, but it was there all the same. 

He turned off the water and toweled off, hurrying his pace so he could get back to the halls of healing and inquire about any news regarding his former Master. 

He felt almost numb as he walked down the long temple corridors side-by-side with Ahsoka. Time felt slow and fast all at once. It felt like an eternity getting to the halls of healing, but when they arrived, Anakin could barely even remember the walk there. The scent of antiseptic permeated his senses and helped ground him in the present. 

“Where’s Master Che?” Anakin asked the Padawan healer at the front desk.

“She just got out of surgery. I’ll go get her.”

Anakin’s heart leapt to his throat. Another eternity passed in the time he spent waiting for Master Che.

“How is he?” Anakin asked desperately as Master Che just barely rounded the corner. She looked tired, but she gave Anakin a soft smile.

“He’s going to be fine,” she said in a gentle tone.

“Okay,” Anakin said quietly as he let out a deep breath. “Can we see him?”

“I have him in bacta right now and I would like to keep him there for a couple more hours.”

Anakin grimaced. He knew how much Obi-Wan hated bacta.

“It was a little touch and go,” Master Che continued. “But the Force was with him. When I was healing him, well it felt…”

“It felt like what?” Ahsoka piped up. 

“I don’t know, it felt like the Force was guiding me more than usual. Like it was enacting its will through me and its will was to see Master Kenobi alive.”

“That’s strange,” Anakin said. “On the ship, he told me the Force  _ spoke  _ to him. But not in the way it usually does. He told me that the Force was giving him an order.” 

“An order to do what?”

“To stay alive.”

“Well, it seems he’s managed to follow orders,” Master Che said. “He’s always been a bit of a rule follower, that one.”

Anakin smiled. “That he is.”

“You two should go back to your quarters and rest. You can come back in a few hours when he’s out of the bacta.”

“I don’t know, I would rather-”

“Knight Skywalker, you are no good to him if you are exhausted. Go. Get some rest, both of you,” Master Che said in that voice that meant she would not be hearing any arguments.

“Yes Master,” Anakin and Ahsoka said in unison.

For once, the Jedi and his Padawan did as they were told. 

* * *

The Force swirled around Obi-Wan as he slept. 

It soothed and cradled him in its ethereal embrace. The Force knew that his future was dark, but it also knew he would choose the light all the same. The Force loved him for it. That’s why it tried to warn him, to prepare him for the turbulent path ahead, though maybe it had gone a little overboard from time to time. Still. Obi-Wan was the shepherd and though the proverbial lamb had yet to be born, Obi-Wan would do everything he could to protect him. Only The Force knew that. 

It was for that reason that the Force intervened – if only just a little bit. It allowed the healers to tether it and, in turn, it guided them. Now, as the Jedi lay in rest, the Force enacted its will. 

  
And the Force said  _ I need you alive. _


	11. Recovery

The first thing Obi-Wan noticed when he woke up was that he felt restrained. Panic coursed through his veins. Maybe everything after his “escape” had been a strange dream before dying. Maybe he was still trapped underground, running out of oxygen as rapidly as he was running out of time. His eyes flashed open and his fears were instantly washed away by the bright lights around him. He squinted before adjusting to the light.

The second thing Obi-Wan noticed when he woke up was that his Padawan and Grandpadawan were to blame for the first thing he noticed. He looked down at himself and saw Anakin and Ahsoka on either side of him. They were both clutching his hands and they were laying partially on top of him in spite of being in their own plastic chairs. He smiled fondly at his lineage. They both looked younger like this, though Anakin’s brows were still somehow creased in worry, even in sleep. 

The third thing Obi-Wan noticed was the pain. It hit him like a wave. He tried his best to keep still and not awaken his Padawans, but he couldn’t help it when he squeezed their hands tightly.

Anakin and Ahsoka’s heads shot up simultaneously. “Master!”

“’kin-” he whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse. “‘Soka.”

Ahsoka immediately grabbed a glass of water and held it to Obi-Wan’s lips. He took a few small sips before pulling away. He tossed his head back against the pillows and tried to breathe through the sharp ache that lanced through his new surgery sutures. 

“Master? What’s wrong?” Ahsoka questioned.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. It just…” he let out a sharp hiss between clenched teeth. 

“Ahsoka, you stay with him, I’m going to go get Master Che.”

“No, Anakin, it’s alright,” Obi-Wan insisted. Anakin didn’t look convinced and he turned to go and find Master Che.

Ahsoka grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand. “It’ll be alright, Master Kenobi,” she whispered.

Obi-Wan gave a tight nod. “It’s good to see you, Ahsoka.”

“I’m glad to see you too. You two have to stop going on adventures without me,” she said playfully, in a clear attempt to distract him. It worked a little bit.

“You can come on the next one, I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Master Kenobi.”

“Oh, I’m well aware you will.”

Obi-Wan looked at the concerned eyes of his Grandpadawan. He could see the worry so clearly etched across her face. He hated that he was the cause of it. “It’s alright, Ahsoka. I’m going to be fine, it just hurts a little right now, but I’ll be back to normal soon.” 

“I know, it’s just…” she faltered before lunging forward and wrapping her arms around his neck in an awkward side hug. Obi-Wan stiffened before relaxing and hugging her back. 

“I don’t like seeing you like this,” Ahsoka admitted quietly into his shoulder.

Guilt flooded his entire being. “I’m sorry, Padawan.”

“No, no it’s not your fault, I’m just-” Ahsoka backpedaled. 

“I know. I’m still sorry.” 

She pulled back and smiled at him. She squeezed his hand and he allowed her warm Force presence to embrace his own. He closed his eyes again and worked to steady his breathing.

“Ah, Master Kenobi,” Master Che greeted. Anakin was trailing closely behind her like a shadow – a very nervous, fidgety shadow. “You awoke faster than I anticipated.” The master healer began messing with Obi-Wan’s IV.

“What are you doing?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I’m sedating you. You need a little more time to recover.”

“No, I’m okay, I don’t really…” he cut himself off with a short gasp as another wave of pain overtook his body. 

Master Che shot him an unimpressed look and continued working on the IV. “There,” she said with a clap of her hands. “You’ll be knocked out again in a few minutes. The next time you wake up you should be feeling much better.”

Obi-Wan shot her a half-hearted glare as she strode out of the room, leaving him alone with his lineage. They resumed their positions in the chairs by his side. He sighed, already starting to feel the effects of the painkillers entering his bloodstream. Then another thought occurred to him.

“Anakin, what did you do with the data chips?”

Anakin’s eyes widened. “I forgot to bring them to the council. I still have them! They’re in my robes, they’re just…” Anakin dug around through his clothes “I uh…”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said in the calmest voice he could muster. “Did you lose the data chips I almost died to retrieve?”

“No! I just-”

“Master, you changed clothes remember?” Ahsoka interjected. “They’re probably back in our quarters.”

Anakin visibly relaxed. Obi-Wan did not.

“Anakin, you were supposed to bring those to the council  _ immediately. _ ” 

“Oh I’m terribly sorry, I must have been too busy  _ dragging your dying bod _ y to the halls of healing to notice!”

Obi-Wan’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair,” he said. “Just go and get them and make sure you take them to the council.”

Anakin nodded at him and said something else, but Obi-Wan couldn’t tell what it was. Everything was starting to feel farther away. The last thing he heard was the quiet voice of his grandpadawan. 

“It’s alright, Master Kenobi. Anakin and I will take care of everything. Just rest now.”

“Thank you, ‘soka,” he said drowsily.

The Force told him to rest. And who was he to ignore the will of the Force?

* * *

Anakin walked with a quickened pace towards the council chambers, the four data chips in hand. 

He palmed open the door and stood before the council members. Well, he stood before Masters Yoda and Windu. All of the other Masters were out on their own campaigns, or in Obi-Wan’s case, in the halls of healing.

“Young Skywalker, good to see you it is,” Yoda greeted cordially. “How is your Master doing?”

“Master Kenobi is doing well. Master Che says he’s going to be fine and should recover quickly.” 

“We’re glad to hear that,” Mace said. “Why have you summoned us today?”

“On our last mission, Obi-Wan recovered some Separatist data chips. They could be nothing, but they were protected by that landmine, so we think something important could be on them.” 

Anakin strode forward and handed the data chips to Mace.

“One of them was damaged but the other three are still intact.”

“I see,” Mace said. “Thank you for bringing these to us. We’ll try and recover what we can from them. Hopefully, they will lead to an important discovery.” 

“We can hope,” Anakin said. “Retrieving them was… difficult.” 

“So we heard,” Mace replied. “Go now. Be with your Master and your Padawan. We’ll send for you when and if we find something of value.”

“Thank you, Masters,” Anakin said, bowing slightly to Mace and Yoda before turning on his heels and making a beeline straight for the halls of healing. 

* * *

_ A few days later. _

Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan sat together at the kitchen table in Anakin’s quarters in comfortable silence. Ahsoka was working on her studies, while Anakin made improvements to some of R2s processing boards and Obi-Wan caught up on reports. 

The morning was quiet but comfortable. The three generations of Jedi embraced each other's presence in the Force, latching on to their unique signatures while still entertaining their own individual work. With the war, mornings like this were rare, but oh so treasured. 

However, all good things come to an end. In this case, it ended when Anakin and Obi-Wan’s commlinks chimed simultaneously, summoning them to the council chambers. Ahsoka watched as they shot each other knowing looks before setting down their work and pulling on their robes. 

“They must have pulled intel from the data chips,” Anakin said.

“Yes. I wonder if any of it is of value.”

“I’m sure it is, Master,” Anakin reassured. “I doubt they would be summoning both of us if it wasn’t.”

“You have a point there,” Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin turned to Ahsoka, who had perked up and looked like she was waiting for an invitation.

“Come on Ahsoka,” Anakin said with a sideways grin. “Let’s go see where the council will be sending us this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s it for part one of this two-part series! This chapter functioned mostly as a joiner between part one and two, but don’t worry! I’ll begin posting part 2 next Tuesday. Part two will be called “All You Have Is Your Fire,” so keep an eye out for that if you are interested.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and interacting with this fic, it really means a lot to see so many of you enjoying it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always welcome here, or feel free to come visit me on Tumblr!


End file.
